The Power of Forgiveness

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 3:3-9 ESV).

 

At one point in his book “Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer,” C. S. Lewis rejoices over finally being able to forgive someone he had been trying to forgive for over thirty years. Had this little revelation not been written by Lewis, I would not have believed it considering the incredible knowledge and maturity this great man of God was known for throughout his long ministry. That’s a long time to work at forgiveness.

 

This is one of those times when an obvious crossroad in history has been revealed with stark clarity. In my seven decades of life I have only seen such a time once. I was a rising senior in high school. That summer should have been filled with the carefree episodes you would expect of the late ‘60s. After all, it was the time of rock and roll, fast cars, and fun times. That was not my experience though. The summer began with death threats leveled toward my Dad in the tumult of racial unrest reaching a pivot point. Threats against our grocery business were common. I suppose hearing the explosion one night should not be a surprise. However, seeing the complete devastation of all we had worked so hard to build was a wrong not easily forgiven. Much later in life, Lewis’ words gave me comfort and encouragement to accomplish that hurt.

 

We are at such a time in our nation. So much has been said and done to magnify our differences. And, while there is plenty of blame to assign, I wonder if we are exerting the same enthusiasm and effort to forgive those who are the object of our wrath. Of course, I am not saying that those who have broken the law should not be held accountable to the full extent of the laws within their rights as citizens of our nation. However, we must go beyond retribution if we are to capture the living hope Peter is referring to in our reading today. Sometimes spiritual progress is slow and steady, and much time is required before fruit appears. Whether new life in Jesus begins suddenly or develops over the course of one’s entire lifetime, the goal is the same: to be transformed by the power of the gospel. Join me in this message today. Transformation must begin with forgiveness.